We have all watched with a mixture of sadness and confusion as Elon Musk’s departure from Washington unfolded. His 130-day assignment clock ran out. I did not expect this to be a permanent job, but rather someone and something to provide us with fresh ideas on controlling federal government waste.
“Even as the old resist and the new struggle, the tide of progress always finds a way to rise to new heights in America.”
Elon Musk and his generation represent where we could be, and hopefully, where we are going. He represents what can be done and what can be accomplished. A person who can send rockets into space, build electric cars, deploy satellites, build AI software, and data centers can expose Washington corruption in less than 130 days. And so, he did.
Some Real Surprises
Elon Musk’s revelations were hardly surprising, but the extent of corruption and waste within certain agencies remained known only to entrenched bureaucrats and their beneficiaries. USAID stood out as a prime example, where the routine funneling of money beyond government oversight rendered accountability nearly impossible. While the term “NGOs” was familiar to many, their real function, marred by corruption, became glaringly apparent. In a republic, such entities have no rightful place.
“Nearly impossible” is a key phrase and shifted the element of surprise from the DOGE team to the corrupt. The surprise came when the DOGE team demonstrated its ability to quickly trace and pinpoint the corruption. One revelation led swiftly to another.
Government agencies are notoriously difficult to unravel, and nearly impossible to eliminate. Yet, to President Trump’s credit, his administration seized the moment and dismantled USAID. In a decisive stroke, they dismissed roughly 10,000 employees, transferred its functions to the State Department, and restructured the agency into a lean operation with only 500 staff overseeing its remnants. This placed its functionality where it should be and married foreign policy and foreign aid.
The Old Poster Children
Whenever corruption is exposed on this scale, there are always glaring examples that make us scratch our heads. Government corruption is nothing new, primarily due to the vast amounts of money involved in transactions. Corruption often “follows the money,” and USAID had a significant amount of it to pass out to friends and causes favored by Democrats.
“The tofu crowd is mad at President Trump and Elon Musk, but when you trim fat, pigs squeal.”
In Congress, the old are really old. Over 150 members of Congress are over the age of seventy, and 20 are over the age of eighty. With improved healthcare and advancements in science, more will be able to serve for longer. That is good because it brings experience and a historical perspective to Congress.
However, we saw with President Biden what happens when people stay in office too long, and can be manipulated into doing the bidding of others. There are notable Senators and Representatives who need to go. Many are the perpetrators of corruption and abuse, but the allure of power is too great, and the benefits too tempting. They will leave slowly, hopefully by choice and not in a pine box.
The New will Struggle
However, agency and Congressional corruption are just the tip of the iceberg. I hope that the DOGE crowd will take root as a movement within our government. As the millennial crowd moves into Washington to take their turn at running things, I hope they bring a newfound belief in honest and efficient government.
There are new people to take the reins of government, and we hope they will begin to assume even more critical roles. People like Marco Rubio, Tulsi Gabbard, J. D. Vance, Kash Patel, Pete Hegseth, Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem, Sean Duffy, Scott Turner, and a host of state-level talent stand ready to move in. President Trump’s Cabinet will stand the test of fire and time, but I am betting on their success.
It is time for the next generation to move forward and take the reins. President Trump will take the arrows and stand in the breech while they learn their roles in the next chapter in American history.
Resources and Further Reading
Are Deaths in Congress Increasing?, By Andrew Stanton, Newsweek, newsweek.com, March 14, 2025.
Casualty List, By staff, U.S. House of Representatives Press Gallery, pressgallery.house.gov, Last accessed June 10, 2025.
Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) shuts down USAID and State Dept. seeks to absorb parts of the agency and eliminate the rest, Economic Policy Institute, epi.org, February 6, 2025.
Elon Musk’s DOGE is overhauling the federal government, cutting spending, and drawing backlash. Here’s what to know, By John L. Dorman, yahoo!news, yahoo.com, February 12, 2025.
Feds investigating Stacey Abrams-linked group’s ‘insane’ $2B EPA grant, Zeldin says, By Steven Nelson, New York Post, nypost.com, March 27, 2025.
‘Viper’s nest’: USAID accused of corruption, mismanagement long before Trump admin took aim, By Emma Colton, Fox News, foxnews.com, February 3, 2025.
